Earlier this month Israel and the UAE signed an historic agreement to normalise relations, marking a big development in economic collaboration and ending a ban on trade between the Gulf Arab state and Israel.
Now, Danish shipping giant Maersk MAERSKb.CO said it will now transport ocean cargo between the United Arab Emirates and Israel; a hopeful sign of the possibility that business will be opening up after the two countries established full ties.
Maersk is the world’s number one container line. A spokesperson stated that any trade would be for transshipment, where an existing Maersk service connecting Port Said in Egypt with the Israeli ports of Haifa and Ashdod would also now link up with container cargo from Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
It is reported that last week, Dubai’s DP World said it was partnering with an Israeli group to bid for one of Israel’s two main ports and to examine opening a direct shipping line between the two Middle East countries.
